Abstract
In this narrative account we engage the stories of Doris and Pat, two military bandswomen who share “similar contours of experience” (Richardson L, Fields of play: constructing an academic life. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, p. 19, 1997) despite serving in two different decades and countries, one during a time of war and the other in a time of relative peace. Confronted with multiple narrative possibilities, we wrestle with the implications of authorial privilege and question the ways in which our own life experiences and positionalities influence our retelling of Doris and Pat’s stories. We advocate not for a particular narrative technique but rather for a way of being in narrative that is grounded in humility and an openness to ambiguity.
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Notes
- 1.
Marybelle Nissly, handwritten draft, Reasons why There Should be a WAF Band, undated.
- 2.
“The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa is the national March of the United States of America. It features a distinctive piccolo countermelody in the trio section.
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Cape, J., Nichols, J. (2012). Engaging Stories: Constructing Narratives of Women’s Military Band Members. In: Barrett, M., Stauffer, S. (eds) Narrative Soundings: An Anthology of Narrative Inquiry in Music Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0699-6_2
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